Table



Dec. 26, 1939.

J. v. FINDLEY TABLE Filed June 17', 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTO R N EYS Dec. 26, 1939. v. F|ND| EY 2,184,695

TABLE Filed June- 17, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT O-FFHCE- TABLE Joshua Virgil Findley, Bumble Bee, Ariz. Application. June 17, 1938, Serial No. 214,292 1 Claim. (o1. 311 s) My invention relates to tables and more particularly to tables equipped with folding legs.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a table having foldable legs and equipped with mechanism for operating the legs to extended and retracted positions,

Another object of my invention is to provide atable of the above described character which is simple in construction, durable in use, eificient in operation and economical in manufacture.

A further object of my invention is to provide a table wherein all of the legs are actuated simultaneously to extended and retracted positions and at the same time reliably braced in the extended position.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, appended claim and annexed drawings.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of my invention illustrating the legs in retracted position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating the legs in extended position.

Figures 3 and 4 are sectional views taken on the lines 33 and 4-4 of Figure 2 respectively.

In practicing my invention I provide. a table equipped with a top 5 having depending side or skirt rails 6 secured thereto and legs I, constituting in this instance four in number, each of which are hingedly connected to the top by means of hinges 8 at the upper sections thereof which sections abuttingly engage the rails 6 when in extended position to limit the outward movement of the legs. The lower face of the top 5 has secured thereon a centrally disposed and transversely extending guide member 9 fashioned with a lengthwise extending channel It embraced by side and top sections I l and I2 respectively, said top sections l2 abutting the lower face of the top 5. Slidably mounted within the channel ID are a pair of blocks l3 adapted for movement towards each other to effect movement of the legs 1 to extended position and away from each other to effect movement of said legs to retracted posi: tion in a manner hereinafter set forth.

A pair of oppositely disposed rods M extending in parallelism with the guide member 9 connect respective pairs of the legs '1 together whereby the respectivev pairs are adapted for movement away from each other to extended positions and towards each other to retracted or folded positions as clearly illustrated in the drawings. The ends of the rods are fashioned with offset sections l5 secured within the upper sections of the respective legs for preventing relative movement therebetween. Said rods intermediate of the ends thereof are fashioned with crank arms E6 on which are pivotally secured links ll. Each of the links I! have pivotally connected to the ends thereof adjacent the guide member 9 a pair of arms I8. Each pair of said arms at the outer ends thereof are pivotally connected to the blocks I3 and with the respective ends of the other pair of said arms. One of the arms is fashioned with an arcuate end section extending beyond the pivoted connection with the links I l and has pivotally connected thereto an inwardly extending curved end of an actuating bar I9, the outer end of which is provided with a handle 20 and apertured as at 2| adjacent said handle for receiving an offset end 22 of a latch bracket 23 secured to one of the side rails 6. Secured to'the lower face of the top 5 are bearing brackets 24 in which the rods M are journaled adjacent the crank arms l6. Said brackets 24 serve to prevent displacement of the rods 94 relative to the top during the operation of the mechanism. A guide bracket 25 is secured to the lower face of the top and has slidably secured therein the bar It whereby to maintain said bar in operable position relative to the bracket 23.

Within the channel H! and intermediate of the ends of the guide member 8 there is secured a block 26 which serves to limit the movement of the blocks 13 towards each other. Said guide member is covered by means of a plate 2'! having oflset ends secured to the bottom face of the top by means of screws or the like and secured intermediate of said ends to the block 26 by means of a screw 28. The block 26 extends downwardly below the side sections II and serves to space the plate 21 below the member 9 to provide a working space for the arms [8 pivoted to the blocks l3. The plate 21 serves to maintain the blocks l3 in operable positions within the channel I0.

In use, the legs being in the folded or retracted position illustrated in Figure 1, pull is applied to the handle 20 to move the same outwardly over the lower face of theadjacent side rail 6, thereby causing the bar to pivot the respective arms I8 about the pivots on the links H and blocks l3. This movement of the arms l8 serves to move the blocks l3 towards each other within the channel I0 and move the inwardly extending ends of the links l1 away from each other to effect rotation of the rods l4 through the medium of the crank arms l6 thereby moving the respective pairs of legs into extended position as clearly illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings. In this position the offset section 22 of the bracket 23 is inserted Within the aperture 2| of the bar l9 thereby securing the legs and connected parts in extended position. When thus secured, the upper sections of the legs are braced against the inner faces of the rails 6 and maintained thereagainst by means of the extended positions of the connected parts and locked position of the bar I9 to the bracket. A reverse operation of the parts heretofore described serves to move the legs to retracted or folded position as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings whereby the table may be readily stored in a minimum. amount of space.

Secured to the top 5, between the inner faces of the rails 6 and outer faces of the upper sections of a connected pair of the legs I, are a pair of spacers 29 whereby to maintain one pair of connected legs spaced relative'to the other to efiect folding of said legs as clearly illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings.

What I claim is:

In a folding table structure, a top, pairs of legs hinged to said top, said pairs of legs movable away from each other to extended positions and towards each other to folded positions, rods having crank arms connecting the legs of each pair together, a transversely extending guide member secured to said top, guide blocks slidable within said member, links connected to said crank arms, a pair of arms pivoted to each of said links and to said blocks and extending on each side of said member, one of said arms fashioned with an ex tending section adjacent one of said links, an operating member connected to said extending section and operable for moving said blocks towards each other to move said legs to extended position and away from each other to move said legs to folded position.

JOSHUA VIRGIL FINDIEY. 

